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Providence Car Accident Lawyer: Arbitration in Car Accident Claims

Resolving an injury claim is a process that can take a significant amount of time. It’s not uncommon for a RI car accident claim to take years to reach resolution once a claim has reached the litigation stage. This can be a major problem for an injury victim who missed work, has medical bills, and is having a difficult time getting back to normal. An alternative to litigation is sometimes available. Arbitration, a proceeding that is somewhat less formal than litigation, and more importantly, can take a lot less amount of time to complete, is available when the parties agree to it.

In fact, in an attempt to speed up the injury claim process, Rhode Island legislature has mandated that all vehicle insurance contracts include a provision that allow plaintiffs to submit their claims to arbitration whenever the claim is for $25,000 or less. R.I. Gen. Laws § 27-10.3-1. This means that a personal injury victim can make the decision to go to arbitration without the insurance company’s agreement.

It’s important to note, however, that the arbitrator’s decision isn’t immediately binding. If either party wants to enter litigation after arbitration, they can, so long as they do so within 60 days of the arbitrator’s decision. Unfortunately, this can make resolving injury claims take even longer because victims would need to begin litigation after the arbitration.

So while it isn’t always a sure thing, a RI car accident attorney can notify the insurance company of a victim’s desire to go to arbitration and resolve the victim’s claim much faster than it would take without this law. If it works, victims can receive the money they need to get back to normal and continue on with their lives much quicker than if they had to litigate.